


Z is for ZedPM

by flitterflutterfly



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: First Time, M/M, Post Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 21:04:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/691417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flitterflutterfly/pseuds/flitterflutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney may have found a ZPM, but John had lost Rodney and that was unacceptable. Now it was just a matter of making Rodney realize that his life was more important than anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Z is for ZedPM

**Author's Note:**

> For the Alphabet Soup challenge in Stargateland where my team did 26 Reasons to Disobey Your Commanding Officer and I chose the letter Z (for ZedPM).

“Goddammit, Rodney!” John yelled as he dogged yet another arrow headed his way. Behind him, Ronon and Teyla were struggling to shoot back at the angry natives.

John had turned his head to check on them just a minute before and when he’d looked back to where the scientist had been, Rodney was gone.

The natives were growing in size and anger. John knew he couldn’t make the right decision, not in this situation, so he was glad when Teyla finally called out, “We need to get back to the gate, John.”

John nodded and covered her and Ronon’s backs as they raced back into the deep woods they’d been traversing in before they’d stumbled across the sacred shrine that had led to the arrows flying at them.

In short order, they’d lost the mob, and only then did John allow himself to stop, feeling rage like he’d rarely felt before as he turned to the nearest tree and punched it. His knuckle came back bloody, but he hardly noticed.

“John,” Teyla placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

John shook her off and tapped his radio twice. There was no answering taps. He frowned and tapped again, “Rodney, answer.”

Silence spread through the forest. John only realized his hands were shaking when Teyla took the bloodied one and wrapped a bandage around it firmly.

“He’ll be fine,” Ronon said. John opened his mouth to say that they can’t know that, when Ronon continued, “and if he isn’t, we’ll tear this place apart for him.”

John stared at the runner that had become his friend and nodded. “Yeah,” he said, voice hoarse.

“Come, we need to inform Woolsey,” Teyla reminded them.

The rest of the long walk back to the gate was done in near silence. John found himself cursing Rodney; if only the scientist had listened to him for once and stayed put. The Stargate program may not be the best in terms of obeying one’s commanding officers and usually John didn’t mind. This was one of the times when he wished that Rodney would have just obeyed and obeyed on instinct instead of just on whim.

They had just reached the DHD when the foliage rustled with the sound of quick footsteps. All three of the remaining team members raised their guns towards the noise, only to lower them as Rodney came bursting out of the trees, a ZPM in his hands.

“Oh good, you guys haven’t left yet,” Rodney approached them with a practical bounce in his step.

“Rodney,” John breathed. “I thought-”

“You didn’t answer your radio, McKay,” Ronon grumbled.

“My radio fell off,” Rodney had the nerve to shrug. “But look I found the ZedPM!”

“You,” John looked from the innocent orange device to the scientist who’d been the one that had told them that the energy readings coming from this planet were positive. All of the sudden, he reached forward and tugged Rodney in close, hands hard against the surprisingly strong arms. “Never do that again.”

Rodney’s blue eyes widened in shock. “John?”

“This,” John took the ZPM, “is not worth your life, Rodney.”

“But it’s a-” Rodney cut himself off with a sudden intake of breath as John tossed the ZPM in Ronon’s general direction. “Sheppard!”

John clasped the back of Rodney’s neck, ignoring Ronon and Teyla who undoubtedly were smiling knowingly at them. “When I tell you to stop, you have to listen to me, Rodney. Nothing is worth your life, not to me.”

Rodney went pink then, his eyes wide as if he  _finally_  got it, after years of obliviousness. “Oh.”

John knew he was still shaking and he felt as though he needed a five mile run or a good hard fuck. He would settle for the run because Rodney deserved more than the latter and there hadn’t been anyone else for John since the second year of the expedition, even as Rodney himself dated girl after girl, ending with the latest disaster of Jennifer Keller.

“Oh,” Rodney said again and he relaxed into John’s brutal hold. “Why didn’t you ever say?”

“You’re worth too much,” John repeated, but it was also an answer to the scientist’s question.

Rodney laughed softly and leaned forward and gave John a shy kiss. John returned it, but stopped himself before he could really let go of his emotions, really devour and claim Rodney as he wants to.

Later, they presented the ZPM to Woolsey, who turned to Rodney and said, “So you disobeyed your commanding officer, ran through a bunch of Pegasus natives with swords and bows, and stole their ZPM?”

“Well, it is a ZedPM,” Rodney said.

Woolsey nodded as if that was the truth. “Don’t tell the IOA I said this, but good job Rodney.”

Rodney grinned and John shook his head, because no matter what he said he didn’t doubt that Rodney wouldn’t go back and change his actions. Wouldn’t not do that again in the future.

Still, perhaps John could finally prove to the scientist that even if risks are sometimes necessary, there was someone who cared more than anything about his safe return.

Rodney turned his bright eyes to John and the colonel saw as he recognized that conviction. “But maybe I’ll tell my team the plan next time,” he murmured and they left together to get out from under the surprised gaze of the current Atlantis leader.

“I am sorry, John,” Rodney said even later into John’s bare skin.

John ran his hands down that pale back before him. “I know.”

Rodney said something else, but it’s too quiet to be heard. John didn’t need to hear it, however, he’d already been told in the warm touches and soft kisses and sparkling eyes and  _that..._  that was better than twenty rough fucks. And he said it all back with his own carasses, giving back to Rodney what he knew Rodney needed.

They fell asleep together as the city hummed with the power of another ZPM and the ocean waves crashed on the nearest pier and their breaths mingled like two souls finally intertwining.


End file.
